What he said: “The Spurs have already lost more home games after the All-Star break (two) than they did before it (one). More importantly, they have Manu Ginobili back for the rest of their seven-game homestand, which features great matchups against the Knicks (Wednesday) and Clippers (Friday) this week.”

What he said: “A Friday matchup with the Clippers — with Manu Ginobili back on the court — could tell us a lot about the Spurs’ chances in April, May and (gulp) June. Or one of the teams could no-show, a concept foreign to neither club, and it could just be another regular season game. LOCKOUT SEASON!”

What he said: “They could probably rationalize the Chicago loss, given the quality of the opposition, but losing at home to the short-handed Nuggets on a night that (A) Manu made his return and (B) Denver lost yet another big man (Mozgov) to injury? The Spurs might need another Rodeo Road Trip to get back on track.”

Chances of winning: Hollinger estimates the Spurs have a 99.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, an 86.1 percent chance of winning the Southwest Division, a 13.2 percent chance of winning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, a 19.1 percent chance of making the NBA Finals and an 6.4 percent chance of winning the NBA title.

What he said: “Assuming Manu Ginobili is healthy enough for regular rotation minutes the rest of the season (no sure thing, of course), the Spurs have a wealth of swingmen who not only can spread out defenses with long-range accuracy but also possess the skills and judgment to go to the hoop or feed the big men when the situation warrants. Gary Neal and Danny Green have refined their games operating in San Antonio’s half-court system while Ginobili has been absent. It’s not surprising that even with Ginobili missing 27 of 37 games, the Spurs rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio. Adding one of the most resourceful playmakers in NBA history to an offense that is already sixth in efficiency is a wonderful wild card as the team uses the second half to prepare for the playoffs.

What he said: “Tough losses to good teams in Chicago and Denver this week. Another test coming Friday against the Clippers. For a while it looked like this team could beat anyone, but do you really buy that when the playoffs get here?”